I am finally making the move from the stove-top espresso maker to an automatic one.

The two machines I'm presently looking at are the Bialetti Mokona and the Gaggia New Baby.

Could any of you please help me make the right decision between these two - or perhaps recommend another machine?

Thanks, Vince

The Mokona looks like a toy to me. Apart from the styling which I think is abhorrent, I know very little about the technical specs of the machine. The Gaggia, however, is a proven good entry-level machine. I would pick the Gaggia every day of the week and twice on Wednesday.

I would agree that the Baby is a solid machine, though if it were me I might go with one of the cheaper Gaggia machines and save some money. Other than the three-way valve and automatic dosing, there's no real difference between the Baby and one of the cheaper Gaggias like the Coffee or Espresso.

That Bialetti machine doesn't look promising at all, though I've never seen one in the flesh so it's hard to be sure.

You might also consider a Solis SL-70 or a Lelit espresso machine. And don't forget that you'll need a good burr grinder to go with whatever machine you choose.

http://www.1st-line.com/machines/...od/lelit/index.htm

Hi Vince! (this isn't vince from Wpg is it?)
I've just got a Gaggia Baby Class + Isomatic Pro grinder (special from creativecookware.com) and have been very happy with it. I'm trying to post a review on coffee geek but the site is down (check back later this week). But long story short, within 24 hours of getting the thing, I was making easy-to-replicate great shots. The steamer wand leaves a bit to be desired (not really in terms of heat, just in terms of frothing). Otherwise, been very happy....hoping though that the buttons hold up a bit better than those on regular baby, which I've heard some have had problems with. Anyway, seeing as its similar guts, if you get a baby, here's my tips:

1. Grind real fine while stirring with toothpick or similar (PF should be level with coffee before tamping).
2. Tamp NSEW and then centre -- about 30lbs pressure (use a bathroom scale till muscle memory builds up)
3. Brief flush, brief waiting period then pull shot

Really basic, but even with the cheap "cat-toy" tamper, it was producing shots that didn't require any sugar but were still pretty rich...better than most places in Toronto, that's forsure! I'm going to experiment with an even finer grind and lighter tamp (like the Italians do it) to see if I can improve the intensity of the shot. Start-dumping about 1 second of flow helps too with consistency (you loose a bit of the intensity, but I'm doing it when I make it for others who may not like that tiny bit of bitterness the way I like it).

Cheers -- and do check out creativecooking.com -- my order arrived 24hours after it was placed, well packed, with cups, a small frothing jug and a bit of joe, and what's more, because they are Quebec based, you save the PST. Not bad!

Cheers,
Jeremy